Tropical System Forming in the Gulf?

(WLTX) - We might soon have the first named tropical system of 2013, and the storm could affect South Carolina's weather.

A low pressure system currently in the central Gulf of Mexico is the focus of forecasters right now. At present, it is not very organized, but News19 Chief Meteorologist Jim Gandy says there's a chance the system will become a tropical storm in the next two days. (If so, it would be named Andrea.) Read More:Jim Gandy's Climate Blog

Current computer forecast models have the system turning north-northeast, putting it on a track to hit the Florida Gulf Coast in the Apalachee Bay late Thursday. As the system pushes northeast it's expected to go through Georgia and arrive in South Carolina by Friday.

Gandy says the track of the storm will be critical to what we see here.

"The system must track through the coastal areas inland if the Midlands are to see significant rain," Gandy says. "If the system tracks along the immediate coast or just offshore, then rainfall will likely be light."

This forecast, however, could still change significantly over the next several days, and News19's weather team will continue to monitor the storm. You can see updates on News19, WLTX.com, and on News19's mobile phone and iPad apps.